Abstract
Alopecia areata (AA) is an autoimmune disease of the hair follicle that results in hair loss of varying severity. Recently, we showed that IFN-γ-producing NKG2D(+)CD8(+) T cells actively infiltrate the hair follicle and are responsible for its destruction in C3H/HeJ AA mice. Our transcriptional profiling of human and mouse alopecic skin showed that the IFN pathway is the dominant signaling pathway involved in AA. We showed that IFN-inducible chemokines (CXCL9/10/11) are markedly upregulated in the skin of AA lesions, and further, that the IFN-inducible chemokine receptor, CXCR3, is upregulated on alopecic effector T cells. To demonstrate whether CXCL9/10/11 chemokines were required for development of AA, we treated mice with blocking Abs to CXCR3, which prevented the development of AA in the graft model, inhibiting the accumulation of NKG2D(+)CD8(+) T cells in the skin and cutaneous lymph nodes. These data demonstrate proof of concept that interfering with the Tc1 response in AA via blockade of IFN-inducible chemokines can prevent the onset of AA. CXCR3 blockade could be approached clinically in human AA with either biologic or small-molecule inhibition, the latter being particularly intriguing as a topical therapeutic.